The richest man started taking advantage of loopholes after joining Alibaba.

2015 October.

Shanghai.

The ground temperature soared to 40 degrees Celsius. The asphalt road surface was softened by the heat, and the air was filled with a suffocating heat and restlessness.

But that's not the hottest one yet.

The hottest battleground is the food delivery market.

The "kill order" issued by Ele.me headquarters was like a firebomb, completely igniting this summer.

[Ele.me Summer Campaign: Free Delivery Citywide! ¥15 Off Every Order!]

crazy.

White-collar workers and college students all over Shanghai have gone crazy.

In the past, you had to calculate the delivery fee when ordering takeout, but now not only is the delivery fee free, but you can also get a discount on your meal.

Even people who aren't hungry would be tempted to order a milk tea after seeing this level of appeal.

……

The War Room at the Weiguang Building.

The air conditioner was set to 18 degrees Celsius, and it was as cold as an icebox.

Wang Pangzi, wrapped in a military overcoat, stared at the data on the big screen, his mouth agape enough to fit a light bulb.

"Bro, these numbers... are terrifying."

On the screen, Ele.me's order curve wasn't just rising, it was soaring.

It is pulled up vertically at a 90-degree angle.

Ele.me's daily orders surpass 300 million.

"Zhang Xuhao is really not living a normal life."

Fatty Wang smacked his lips, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand.

"Losing 10 yuan per order means losing 3000 million yuan a day. This is faster than a money printing machine."

Lin Che sat in the boss's chair.

He was fiddling with a copy of the $5 million check he had brought back from Alibaba.

"He's gambling."

Lin Che put down the check.

"We're betting that we can wear down Meituan before Alibaba runs out of money."

"pity."

He stood up and walked to the huge capacity monitoring screen.

"He calculated the money perfectly, but he overlooked... his life."

on the screen.

Ele.me's delivery system is experiencing widespread alarms.

The red "[Margin Call]" text, like ugly sores, spreads across the maps of Shanghai, Beijing, and Hangzhou.

There are too many orders.

There were so many orders that Ele.me's small self-built logistics team simply couldn't handle them all.

There aren't enough riders, the electric bikes are out of power, and the system is crashing.

Countless steaming hot takeout meals piled up in front of the restaurant, only to turn into cold food.

"Ring ring—"

The red emergency phone on the table suddenly rang.

That's a dedicated dispatch line from Ele.me's headquarters.

Fatty Wang glanced at Lin Che.

Lin Che nodded.

"catch."

Fatty Wang pressed the speakerphone button.

On the other end of the phone came the hysterical roar of Ele.me's operations director, amidst a noisy cacophony in the background.

"Mr. Lin! Help!"

"All areas in Shanghai's Xuhui, Jing'an, and Changning districts experienced massive margin calls!"

"We still have 50,000 orders backlogged! If we can't deliver them soon, the merchants are going to smash our place up!"

"Can you handle the low-light situation? We'll pay whatever it costs!"

Anxious.

They're really in a hurry.

The subsidies were spent, users were attracted, but the food still couldn't be delivered.

This isn't just losing money; it's ruining our reputation.

Lin Che walked to the phone.

There was no rush to answer.

He reached out and made a grasping motion in the air.

It was as if they had seized the other person by the throat.

"What did Mr. Zhang say?"

Lin Che's voice was calm, but it revealed a cold-blooded ruthlessness of taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

"Mr. Zhang said! As long as it can be delivered, a premium is no problem!"

"it is good."

Lin Che snapped his fingers.

"Activate the 'premium order acceptance' mode."

"Delivery fee per order..."

He paused, glancing at the grim red on the screen.

"50% price increase."

"What?!"

The person on the other end of the phone was clearly stunned for a moment, followed by a gasp of surprise.

"This...this is way too dark!"

"Not answering?"

Lin Che made a move to hang up the phone.

"Then you can deliver it yourselves. Good luck."

"No! Answer it! We'll answer it!"

The other person practically screamed it out.

"As long as it can be delivered, I'll add as much as I need!"

beep.

The phone hangs up.

Lin Che turned around.

The backlog of orders that originally belonged to Ele.me on the screen instantly turned into a faint purple glow.

It was like a grand magic show.

Ele.me spends money to treat people, and Ele.me spends money to buy traffic.

At last.

The money all went into Weiguang's pocket.

"God's operation."

Shen Nan looked at the rapidly increasing account balance in the back office and couldn't help but sigh.

"Ele.me loses 15 yuan per order, of which 5 yuan is our delivery fee, and we have to add an extra 2.5 yuan premium."

"It's like Zhang Xuhao was fighting hand-to-hand, shedding blood and sweat."

"We helped him collect his body from behind, and we also took his wallet from his pocket."

Lin Che walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside the window, the sun in Hangzhou is blazing.

Countless deliverymen, wearing shimmering purple vests, are riding tricycles through the sweltering heat.

Their carriages were filled with Ele.me orders.

But what they earn is money from a glimmer of light.

"This is the truth of the gold rush."

Lin Che took a cigarette out of his pocket.

ignite.

Take a deep breath.

"Gold prospectors might die in the mines."

"But the shovel seller."

"Make money forever."

……

A month later.

Ele.me's "summer campaign" ended in chaos.

Although order volume has reached a record high, the cost has been severe.

The cash flow is tight.

Huge losses.

Ironically, the biggest winner of this battle was neither Ele.me nor the users.

Instead, it sends out faint light.

[WeLight Flash Delivery Monthly Financial Report]

Net profit for the month: RMB 1.2 million.

Market share of transport capacity: 45% (firmly ranked first).

Looking at the financial report, Zhang Xuhao sat in his office, looking as if he had aged ten years.

The ashtray on the table was piled high with cigarette butts.

"I'm out of money."

The CFO pushed the ledger in front of him, his voice trembling.

"At this rate of burning, the money in the account will only last for two months."

"What about financing? Didi? Tencent?" Zhang Xuhao suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

"Everyone is watching and waiting."

The CFO sighed.

"Everyone is watching the merger negotiations between Meituan and Dianping."

"Nobody dares to order from Ele.me now."

A dead end.

Ahead lies the formidable Meituan, and behind lies the precipice of a broken funding chain.

His only lifeline—the faint light of energy—is still draining his lifeblood every second.

"Go find Ali."

Zhang Xuhao closed his eyes and squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.

"Only Ali can save us."

Even if...

His hands gripped the corner of the table tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Even if we have to sell the company to them."

……

Weiguang Building.

Lin Che received the encrypted message from Alibaba.

Ele.me is seeking a full acquisition by Alibaba and has begun negotiations.

Lin Che smiled.

He threw his phone on the table.

"The fish has taken the bait."

He walked up to the huge business map.

Slowly pull up a blue flag.

then.

It was inserted into Alibaba's yellow map.

"Zhang Xuhao can't hold on any longer."

Lin Che turned to look at Shen Nan.

"Get ready."

"Joseph Tsai invited me to Hangzhou tomorrow to attend a closed-door meeting."

"As an important ally of Alibaba."

Lin Che straightened his collar, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"In this acquisition."

"My vote."

"Very crucial."